Do you have curious kiddos at home, fascinated by how things grow? Or perhaps you want to introduce your children to the magic of Mother Nature? If that’s the case, we have just the thing for you – 2 Liter Bottle Mini Greenhouses! This recycled gardening craft is a perfect activity for the summer break and they are super simple to put together, I promise!
Making this DIY mini greenhouse project together can bring science alive in your living room. Plus, they’re the perfect way to keep your kids engaged, learning, and most importantly, having fun during those long summer days.
The best part is, this project is a breeze, needing only a handful of readily available materials and craft supplies, and is a lovely quiet activity when you need a break from the chaos of water activities or backyard fun with friends.
Start saving those soda bottles now!
So let’s jump right in and start exploring this green-thumb activity!
Table of Contents
- Make Your Own Mini Greenhouse With Kids
- Green Benefits of This Greenhouse Making Activity
- Beyond the Greenhouse
- DIY Miniature Greenhouse Kit
Make Your Own Mini Greenhouse With Kids
Don’t worry, it’s super easy! And remember, safety first: only parents should handle the knife. So while you’re prepping, let your kids enjoy picking out their seeds.
Cut a wide strip from the middle of the bottle and toss it out. Also, don’t forget to cut a few drainage holes at the bottom. Your little helpers can then fill the bottom half with soil, making a cozy bed for the seeds. Let them make 1-3 holes in the soil and place a seed in each.
Time for some watering! Your kiddos will love using the spray bottle to gently moisten the soil, and that action is great for strengthening up those hand muscles and building strong fine motor skills.
Now, it’s time to turn this bottle into a real, working greenhouse. Cover the top portion of the bottle with plastic wrap and secure it with a rubber band, then pop the top half of the bottle back on.
Voila! You have your very own mini greenhouse!
The Waiting Game
Place your greenhouses near a sunny window and observe over a few days. You only need a little room for this greenhouse project and the window sill is the perfect spot because of all that sunlight.
The suspense of waiting for the seeds to sprout is half the fun! Don’t forget to use a tray underneath if you want to keep things clean and easy.
Usually, after a few days, you’ll start to see little green shoots poking out from the soil – a surefire way to light up those excited young faces! But remember, not all seeds are going to sprout (much like our first attempts at baking), so if at first you don’t succeed, plant, plant again!
Once your plants reach a certain height, they’re ready for the big world! Transfer them to a larger container or better yet, a garden, and watch them flourish!
Here’s our detailed instructions step by step below to guide you all the way through this fun gardening activity for kids, and make your own little greenhouse.
Make a Soda Bottle Greenhouse with Kids
Discover the magic of growing with our DIY 2-Liter Bottle Mini Greenhouses!
An easy and fun project for kids, these mini greenhouses offer a hands-on learning experience about plant life cycles, problem-solving, and patience. Most suitable for budding botanists aged 4 and up but can be enjoyed by kids of all ages together with parents, this eco-friendly activity turns everyday waste into a wonderful window into nature's wonders, right in your own home.
Let's plant some seeds of curiosity and watch their fascination flourish!
Materials
- Empty and clean 2 liter bottles - one soda bottle or water bottle per mini green house.
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber band
- Soil
- Seeds (I used sunflower for this project)
- Spray bottle filled with water
Tools
- X-acto knife
- Optional: plastic tray
- Spray bottle
Instructions
- Gather all your supplies so that you're ready to begin this plastic bottle greenhouse project with the kids.
- Using the x-acto knife, cut the middle part of the 2 liter bottle out
and discard. 
- On the bottom of the bottle, cut a few drain holes using the knife.
You’ll want the top portion of the bottle to fit just enough into the bottom portion to create the greenhouse. - Fill the bottom portion of the bottle with soil.
Poke 1-3 holes into the soil for the seeds. Place a seed into each hole. 
- Use the spray bottle to moisten the soil enough with water.
- Cover the top portion of the bottle with a piece of plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band.
- Place the lid on top of the bottom portion of the greenhouse.
- Set the mini greenhouses near a window sill that gets good sunshine. The window sill is usually the right place for this. Use a tray underneath if desired. Observe over a few days.
- After a few days, you should see the seeds sprouting.
- If you do not see any seeds sprouting, you can try planting another until you get a sprout. Seeds not sprouting could be from just bad seeds, diseased seeds, etc.
- Once plants reach a certain height, you can transfer to a bigger container or garden outside and watch them grow!
Notes
Prep Time: 15 minutes (for gathering supplies and preparing the bottles)
Active Time: 30 minutes (for setting up the greenhouses and planting the seeds)
Additional Time: A few days to several weeks (for observing the growth and caring for the plants)
A greenhouse is a special, human-made environment. It’s like a warm, cozy home where plants grow. It helps plants by giving them just the right amount of light, warmth, and water they need to thrive. Just think of it as a plant paradise we create!
Green Benefits of This Greenhouse Making Activity
Apart from being a whole lot of fun, this activity is also a great learning experience. It teaches kids about plant life cycles, the importance of sunlight and water, and the magic of growing something with their own two hands.
It also emphasise recycling, and is a perfect project for Earth Day in April, as well as for summer fun.
This project is most suitable for kids aged 4 and up, with adult supervision, but can be done with toddlers and preschoolers too with extra supervision. It’s a lot of fun for the entire family!
Even little kids will love the excitement of watching their seeds grow, it just requires a little patience.
To extend the learning you could try this seeds and plants lap book with the kids too.
Remember, the aim here is not just to grow plants, but to grow connections. It’s about spending quality time with your children, making memories, and learning together. The 2 Liter Bottle DIY Miniature Greenhouse project offers an exciting hands-on experience and the reward of watching something grow from a mere seed. What an incredible life lesson for the young ones, right?
So what are you waiting for? Start saving those bottles and get ready for some eco-friendly, garden-style fun!
Related: More left over plastic bottles? Make this soda bottle rocket craft or soda bottle lego head craft.
Beyond the Greenhouse
And hey, why stop at one plant? Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can create an entire indoor garden! Different plants sprout in different ways, adding another level of fascination to this project. Why not make a terrarium with the kids?
Or, you can explore with your children why some seeds didn’t sprout, discussing what they have learned, and encouraging their curiosity and problem-solving skills.
This activity isn’t restricted to the summer. Imagine the joy of growing a small indoor garden when it’s cold and snowy outside. Plus, maintaining these mini greenhouses could very well become a long-term hobby for your kids.
If you don’t have access to an outdoor space or garden, then activities like putting together your own small greenhouse become the perfect way to engage your kiddos with nature, plants and gardening in a super accessible way, even in a tiny space.
We hope this simple project can give you an idea of the possibilities on the perfect little space of your windowsill!
DIY Miniature Greenhouse Kit
You don’t need to buy anything to put together this easy indoor gardening project with kids, but if you would like to take if further with some other similar projects then here are a few options for diy miniature greenhouse kits on Etsy…
Maybe you would like to give one of the diy kits as a unique gift, which is a really cute idea. Here are a few of our picks
DIY Miniature Model House: Star Garden House miniature greenhouse model kit with LED lights
DIY Dollhouse Kit Miniature Garden Diorama Room Box
Cathy’s Flower House – Greenhouse Miniature with LED Lights – Robotime Rolife 1:24 DIY Furnished Dollhouse Diorama Craft Kit
Happy planting, everyone!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.